1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to organic electroluminescent (EL) devices having light-emitting elements, methods for producing organic EL devices, and electronic apparatuses.
2. Related Art
A known organic EL device disclosed in JP-A-2007-103032 has functional layers including light-emitting layers in substantially rectangular aperture regions separated by partitions. The aperture regions have narrow portions formed by reducing the width between the long sides thereof at the center of the long sides in the lengthwise direction.
Another known organic EL device disclosed in JP-A-2007-227127 includes first partitions separating pixels of different colors and second partitions partially separating pixels of the same colors. Organic functional layers formed in adjacent pixels of the same colors are connected via regions where no second partitions are formed.
In the light-emitting devices disclosed in the above publications, the shape or arrangement of the partitions is modified so as to reduce variations in the thickness of the organic functional layers formed in the regions separated by the partitions. The light-emitting layers, included in the organic functional layers, are formed by ejecting liquid compositions containing light-emitting-layer forming materials by droplet ejection (ink-jet process) into the regions separated by the partitions and solidifying the compositions.
The light-emitting devices disclosed in the above publications are active-matrix devices in which light-emitting elements including organic functional layers are disposed on drive circuits on a substrate. The drive circuits each include at least two thin-film transistors (TFTs), a hold capacitor, and wiring lines connected thereto.
Because such electrical components are disposed on the substrate, the surface is not necessarily flat, but has steps, in the regions separated by the partitions. In particular, if the organic functional layers are formed by droplet ejection (ink-jet process), the ejected liquid compositions tend to flow into a step region at the lowest level and may therefore lead to uneven film thickness after drying.